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Photography invoice template: sessions, prints and usage

The short answer

A photography invoice lists the session or event, editing, prints or albums, any travel, retainers already paid and the balance due. Say how the client may use the images, since that’s often where misunderstandings start. Fill in the lines below, and print it or save the PDF. Sales tax on prints and digital files differs by state.

For portrait sessions, events and commercial shoots, with a place to spell out how the photos can be used.

Fill in your invoice

Line items
Check your state’s rules for labor and materials.
Personal use, or a business’s marketing, and for how long.

Nothing is saved: print it or save the PDF before you close this page.

Your business name

Invoice

Invoice #1001
Date: —

For

Customer name

Line items
DescriptionQtyPriceAmount
Session or event coverage1$0.00$0.00
Editing1$0.00$0.00
Prints or album1$0.00$0.00
Retainer already paid (enter as a minus)1$0.00$0.00
Subtotal$0.00
Sales tax (0% on $0.00)$0.00
Total$0.00

How the images may be used

Images are for the client’s personal use. The photographer keeps the copyright.

Balance due before final images are delivered.

How it works

Things worth spelling out

  • The retainer: how much, and whether it’s refundable
  • Usage: personal or commercial, and for how long
  • Delivery: when the images arrive, and how many
  • Balance: due before you deliver the final images
  • Travel: where it starts to cost extra

Taxes on photography vary a lot: some states tax prints, digital files or both, so ask your accountant. To work out your rates, try the hourly rate calculator, and count your editing hours.

Common questions

What should a photography invoice include?
Your business, the client, the session date, the service, editing, products, any retainer paid, the balance, the due date, how to pay and how the images may be used.
When should clients pay?
Many photographers take a retainer to hold the date, and the balance before delivering final images.
How should I show a retainer?
As a minus line on the final invoice, so the balance is clear.
Does a client own the photos they paid for?
Generally the photographer holds the copyright unless a contract says otherwise. Say what they can do with the images, and check with an attorney for commercial work.
Is this template free?
Yes. No sign-up and no watermark. It runs in your browser, so nothing you type is stored or sent to us. Print it or save it as a PDF before you close the page.

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